Advertising display device



March 169 3.937. F DANNENBERG Er AL 2,@73998@ ADVERTI SINGl DISPLAY DEVICE Filed March 13, 1936 Patented Mar. 16, 1937 geraete PATENT @FFEQE ADVERTISING DISPLAY DEVICE Frank Dannenberg, John L.

Frank, and Archibald Groth, Rochester, N. Y. Application March 13, 1936, Serial No. 68,762

5 Claims.

rlhe present invention relates generally to advertising display devices and more especially electrical display devices for use in connection with the dispensing of fluids, such as for instance, beer, in tap rooms and other places, although the invention is capable of employment with other fluids and in other situations.

In connection with the dispensing of beer, however, the` invention nds an especial advantage, since it is quite common to have beers cf several different makes on tap and an advertising display prominently distinguishable from the usual display cards, is highly to be desired.

For the above reasons the present invention proposes an electrically actuated display sign which will be lighted whenever, and as long as, a particular beer is being dispensed, and while such an arrangement might be controlled from the tap handle .of abeer faucet, it is our object to avoid any interference with, or attachment to, the visible portions of the usual dispensing apparatus by employing a control device insertable in the flow line of the iluid w ch will be in effect whenever the iluid is in movement or, in other words, is being dispensed.

Moreover it is a further consideration not only to actuate the advertising display or sign whenever the uid is being dispensed, but to make this actuation intermittent throughout the entire dispensing period.

With the above in mind the invention resides in the various features and apparatus to be now described in detail in connection with the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification, and in which,

Fig. l is a side view of the fluid actuated controlling device.

Fig. 2 is a sectional therethrough.

Fig. 3 is a side view, and in section.

Fig. 4 is a detail 3 4 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a plan view, in part diagrammatic, illustrating the complete display apparatus.

Referring now to these figures, there is shown in Figure 5 an apparatus including a display sign in the form of a light box It, the transparent or translucent front plate II of which may have imprinted, painted or otherwise fashioned thereon the name of the beer or fluid to be displayed. Within this box is suitably mounted an electrical lighting bulb I2 included in an electrical circuit, one of the wires I3 of view taken longitudinally partially broken away section taken on the line sign and make it known which is connected to a battery or other suitable source of current I4 having a wire I5 extending therefrom and connected to a stationary contact member I 6.

The contact member I5 cooperates with a rotatable switch member Il to which a wire I8 from the lighting bulb I2 is connected. This switch member Il presents a segmental contact I9 to the stationary contact member I5 and is otherwise insulated therefrom, so that member I1 during each revolution by reason of the ilow of iluid past the same, completes the lighting circuit while the contact I6 rests on segment I9. Thus during continuous rotation of member I'I the light in box Il will be alternately flashed and darkened so that the intermittent action will attract and draw attention to the display that the named beer is being drawn.

For the above purposes, the rotatable switch member I7, is mounted, as shown in Figures l to 4 inclusive, in a casing 20 so that its peripheral channel 2I extends into a iluid passage 22 of the casing. The channel 2I is divided into an annular series of iluid compartments by reason of radial division plates 23 and these compartments open adjacent to a serrated portion 24 of the wall of the fluid passage 22 so that during movement of fluid through the channel, the member Il will be forced to rotate.

The iluid passage communicates at its opposite ends with threaded bores of the casing designed to receive 25,

ported partly in the casing 2 and partly in a plug 23 threaded into and closing one side or the casing. The plug 28 carries the contact IE and for this purpose has an insulating sleeve 29 with a stem 38 at its outer end for receiving wire I5 and to form an abutment for a spring 3l which presses contact IB into engagement with the adjacent face of member Il which is insulated except for the segment I9. Thus wire I8 may be connected as desired to the casing 2li and current will pass to the member I7. When the latter rotates the lighting circuit will be completed whenever the contact i6 engages segment I9 and thus the light will be lighted between periods of intermittent action thereof about as often as it will remain unlighted.

The important point of the operation is, however, the fact that during the ilow of fluid through the switch the light will be flashed on and off and attention forcibly directed to the display sign for this reason.

A second importance results from the fact that by controlling the light by reason of the flow of fluid through the supply line, it is unnecessary to mutilate or in any way add to the no-rmally visiblev control parts of a beer or other tap.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the character described for use with a uid conduit, a circuit controller including a casing for connection in said conduit, said casing having pipe receiving bores and a iiuid passage between said bores, a rotatable member in said casing having a channeled partitioned peripheral portion extending into said passage, said member having a contact segment, and a contact member supported in connection with said casing for engaging said segment during rotation of said rotatable member.

2. In a device of the character described for use with a fluid conduit, a circuit controller including a casing for connection in said conduit, said casing having pipe receiving bores and a fluid passage between said bores, `a rotatable member in said casing having a channeled partitioned peripheral portion extending into said passage, said member having a contact segment, and a contact member supported in connection with said casing for engaging said segment during rotation of said rotatable member, the wall of said passage being serrated yalong a portion thereof adjacent to said rotatable member.

3. A circuit controlling member for use in fluid conduits, comprising a casing having pipe receiving bores and a fluid passage between said bores, a plug threaded into one side of said casing and having an insulated contact member, a rotatable member supported in the casing and plug and having a radially bladed periphery extending into the iiuid passage to rotate the same by moving fluid, said rotatable member having an insulated side wall provided with a segmental contact element for engagement, during rotation thereof, by the said contact member.

4. A circuit controlling device for use in connection with fluid conduits, comprising a casing having pipe receiving bores at spaced-apart points and a fluid passage between said bores, a plug detachably associated with said casing at one side and having an insulating sleeve therethrough, a spring-pressed contact member in said sleeve, a rotatable member having an axial shaft supported by the casing and plug and having its periphery extending into said passage and provided with means to rotate the Amember during flow of uid through the passage, said rotatable member having an insulated side wall adjacent said contact member, and a contact `element in said side wall for engagement by said contact member during each rotation of the rotatable member.

5. An advertising display device for use in connection with the dispensing of uids from a iiuid conduit, comprising a sign, means forming a lighting circuit for the sign, and a circuit controller in said circuit including a casing lfor connection in said conduit, having pipe receiving bores and a fluid passage between said bores, a rotatable member in said casing actuated by the iiow of uid through said passage when the fluid is in movement in the conduit, said rotatable member having a contact segment connected to the lighting circuit, and a contact member alsoI vconnected to the lighting circuit and supported by the casing for engagement with said contact segment during rotation of said rotatable member whereby the lighting circuit will be alternately completed and broken continuously during movement of fluid in the conduit.

FRANK DANNENBERG. JOHN L. FRANK. .ARCHIBALD GROTH. 

